BoG says follows strict procedures before paying judgment debts
Mr. Patrick Atta Opoku, Assistant Director, Banking Department and Head of Foreign Banking, Bank of Ghana on Tuesday said the bank has always followed strictly procedures and regulations regarding the payment of judgment debts.
He said there has never been any instance that the bank was influenced by an individual to make any payments.
Mr Atta Opoku stated during interrogation at the Judgement Debt Commission sitting in Accra.
The Commission had asked the Bank official why some payment were made through the Chief Director of the Bank.
On behalf of the bank, Mr Atta Opoku presented lists of judgment debt documents as well as other supporting documents on foreign and local payments made from 2002 to 2011 to the Commission.
He said the Bank depended on Controller and Accountant Generals Department advice to release money for the payment of judgment debts.
He said all details for the payment of judgment debt were coming from the Controller and Accountant Generals Department.
He said there were times the Bank has to cross check with the Controller and Accountant Generals Department to ensure that account numbers and amounts due for payment were correct.
On foreign payment, Mr. Atta Opoku said the Bank had not been able to exhaust payment while the Commission asked the officials to group the payments it had made by currency denominations to ensure transparency.
Mr. Leslie Akrong, an Assistant Director at Bank of Ghana and Head of Estate Banking said the Controller and Accountant Generals Department keeps government accounts and as such has the mandate to direct the Bank to make payments.
The Bank pleaded with the Commission for two months to enable it to look for some of the necessary documents for the Commission which was granted them.
The Bank would therefore appear on April 15.
The Judgement Debt Commission was established by President John Dramani Mahama in 2012 to inquire into Judgement Debt Payments and other related matters.
The Bank of Ghana was making its initial appearance before the Commission.
Representatives from the Auditor Generals Department, Controller and Accountant General’s Department and the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning who had earlier appeared before the Commission are also expected to provide additional information.
The Commission again urged members of the public who wish to testify or volunteer information to first report at the Commission’s office to give their statement, and then the Commission would schedule a date for them to give their evidence.
It said those who intended to testify or volunteer information to the Commission but were unable to be present in person, were requested to submit memoranda to the Commission, saying all such memoranda would be treated confidentially.
Source: GNA